Border agent kills mother in car incident

SAN DIEGO, Sept. 30 (UPI) -- The family of a California mother of five killed by a U.S. border agent while clinging to the hood of her moving car say the shooting was unjustified.

Valeria Alvarado, 32, of Chula Vista was fatally wounded Friday afternoon, U-T San Diego reported. Authorities said the U.S. Customs and Border Protection agent fired because he feared for his life when the woman allegedly drove at him with her car in the middle of a Chula Vista residential street, the newspaper said.

Border Patrol agents were serving a felony warrant in the neighborhood at the time. Alvarado, also known as Valeria Tachiquin, was not the subject of the warrant.

Chief Border Patrol Agent Rodney Scott said the agent was carried several hundred yards on the hood of the car before he fired his gun through the windshield, KNSD-TV, San Diego reported.

The agent, whose name wasn't released, was hospitalized in unknown condition.

Gilbert Alvarado said he was angry and believed the agent overreacted.

"My wife got killed for no reason," he said. "Show me that my wife had a gun or something that threatened the guy's life where he had to use lethal force against her.

"Whoever shot my wife -- whoever he is -- that guy needs to get shot."

Bernice Ratcliffe, a cousin of Alvarado, said the shooting was senseless.

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